After the last hugely successful BMC NE Festival, which took place in 2017, we're back for another weekend of NE action. The event will take place on the second weekend in May this year - this time in Northumberland. It promises to be a great weekend of walking, climbing, bouldering, eating and drinking, based at at Greencarts Farm Campsite, between Hexham and Wark. We're very excited to have Mark Savage speaking at the event, with tales and photos of beautiful boulders, routes and landscapes from all over the county. Organiser Franco Cookson has all the details...

When and what is it?

Franco Cookson: The BMC Northumberland Festival is a gathering happening 10-12th of May 2019, celebrating walking, bouldering and climbing. It will run from the Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. Just turn up on the campsite and there should be someone to tell you what's what! Previous NE festivals have had a decent turnout on the Friday and then had the numbers swell over the weekend, with the Saturday night being a really good one.

Check out the event on Facebook

Where is Northumberland?

The UK government would say it's in the NE of England, although many in the region may identify more with Scotland or in fact as being an independent state.

Who's it for?

Everyone! Walkers, climbers, boulderers... The evenings will be based around the Greencarts Farm campsite, where we have a giant central marquee for the whole evening. During the day, people will be heading out to the stacks or local paths, fells, crags and boulders. There'll be something for everyone.

What's happening?

Primarily it's about getting outside, so there's not hours and hours planned for the evenings. As well as all the day time activities, there'll be BBQs, some light music and some brands at the event. The highlight of it all, however, has to be a talk from the incredible Mark Savage, which should be rammed full of spectacular images from the region.

What's special about Northumberland?

Northumberland is a special place. As one of the most beautiful and wild places in the country and full of history, it's a top destination for walking. Whether you fancy a bit of west-east action along Hadrian's Wall, or taking on some of the Pennine Way, the campsite is located in easy reach of both.

What can I do in Northumberland?

Northumberland has forest, moorland, the wall, lush pastures, beautiful beaches, surfing, fishing, bothies, lovely pubs, historic sites and plenty of interesting market towns to wander around. There's a lot of variety.

What do I need to bring?

A tent, a chair for the talk, gear, camping stuff, drinks, food and £10 for the two nights' camping. There'll be some food provided free of charge on the Saturday night (there'll be an update on the facebook group to give us an idea on numbers nearer the time), but it is hotting up to be a busy and tiring few days - so bring plenty of alternative vitals too! 

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